"I've told you before, haven't I? My grandmother saw the inside of the Great Library when she was a little girl. She used to tell us stories about how high the bookshelves were...like cliffs you could climb! And they went on for miles...you couldn't see the end of them. She said there were priests too...men in brown robes with soft voices and kind eyes who just read books all the time. I tell you, even poor folk like you and me used to be allowed into the Library. Not now, though. The Archivists have it locked up tighter than a drum, and only the rich and wise can afford to get a peek inside. You've got to have a Write of Entrance, see...and we'll never have enough coin to get one, but I know they're fairly common in the Capital. We could pinch one, maybe...and sell it if you're too yellow to try and get into the Library again." - only slightly unsavory individual, circa 7500 AC
In the days before the
Aeternum, the
Great Library was open to the public at various levels, and never for a fee. The priests of the
Old Faith handled the care of the books and what hands they were placed in, making sure to never endanger the reader or the book itself. Under their guidance the Library had been sectioned off into several departments.
- Books of an Unsavory and Heretical Nature, for enlightened study only and not for the curious. (The Glimpsing Tome was housed here for many years)
- Books of a Material and Historical Value, preserved by appointment only for the careful and considerate.
- Books of a Theoretical and Mature Matter, open to anyone willing to account for themselves and return the books if borrowed.
- Books of a Fanciful and Fun Diversion, kept in the main lobbies of the Library where the most casual tourist could drift through the shelves, enjoying them at will.
Only individuals who abused the books or their fellow visitors were ever turned away, and repeated offences or attempts of theft resulted in arrest and punishment. It was one of the rare instances where knowledge was not denied to the lower classes, where education could almost become a recreation for those with time on their hands.
But when the Aeternum made his seat in the
Capital, he created a new legion of caretakers to replace the
Priests. These were called the
Archivists, and their focus was on invention and discovery rather than enlightenment or higher thought. They were not nearly as inclusive. Entrance into the Library was barred from all but the rich and influential, who either had the goal of researching for the Aeternum or discovering valuable secrets for themselves. A Writ was designed where the wax seal was imbued with magic, and would change shape once exposed to the arcane energy harnessed by the Archivists. This marked it as an authentic Writ.
Sold at a pretty price by the general market, or gifted by friends in high places, the Writ of Entrance is a luxury item that is frequently found in the houses of nobility and of scholars. Every Archivist of higher rank carries one, and while it is possible to steal an unopened Writ, it is highly unlikely you will be allowed in at the gate, simply because the magic of the wax seal requires that you wear the same face as the one it was made for.
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